Twinkie Town - Gamehub: Twins at Yankees, Game 92An online community of Twins fans mourning the death of Prince Rogers Nelson.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52554/tt_fav.png2013-07-15T00:08:13-04:00http://www.twinkietown.com/rss/stream/42861772013-07-15T00:08:13-04:002013-07-15T00:08:13-04:00Miscues Sink Bombers as Twins Roll, 10-4
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/NB_mBUSf3O1VfFLHkhpSno4zrbk=/0x245:4000x2912/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/16406813/173459264.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Andy Marlin</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Twins finish first "half" on a high note by crushing the Yankees.</p> <p>Today I was driving back to Boston. Imagine my glee upon realizing the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.twinkietown.com/">Twins</a> were playing the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.pinstripealley.com/">Yankees</a> and then frantically searching through radio stations as I drove through my scenic detour of the Adirondacks. There was one station on each frequency, and neither of them were broadcasting baseball.</p>
<p>I kept checking back and eventually I caught the game, somewhere on the fringes of some Yankee's radio affiliate. I caught the game in the bottom of the second inning, when the Twins were already up 2-0. Then I stopped for lunch, just for ten minutes to grab something, got into the car and the Twins had scored three more. I heard the parts where New York bumbled and kicked and dropped their way to a two-on, two-out situation when the inning should have been over. But I missed <span>Aaron Hicks</span>' home run.</p>
<p>In the fourth inning I heard the start of <span>Justin Morneau's</span> at-bat, but then I clearly went around some hills and I ate static while the Yanquis botched another one. I got the station back just long enough for <span>Ryan Doumit</span> to step in, at which point I just lost the station entirely. By the time I found a new one, yes, New York screwed the pooch yet again.</p>
<p>By game's end, the Yankees were somehow, miraculously, only charged with two errors. They gave one to <span>Eduardo Nunez</span> and one to <span>Lyle Overbay</span>. Forget about the ball that bounced by <span>Ichiro Suzuki</span> (although it sounds like maybe the ball just hit a divet in the turf), forget the deflection by Luis Cruz, the non-play by <span>Robinson Cano</span>, forget about...hell, everything. Somewhere, baseball hell just froze over and the Yankees only committed two errors.</p>
<p><span>Zoilo Almonte</span> made a pair of embarrassing base running errors, although those can't be counted. Ryan Doumit made a sliding catch in right field, popped back up, and doubled him off of first. Later in the game, Almonte tried to tag up and score from third but was thrown out by a good throw from <span>Clete Thomas</span> in left field.</p>
<p>Back in Normalsville, Hicks did hit a three-run homer - his eighth of the season - to really put the pressure on <span>CC Sabathia</span> and his struggling defense. <span>Kyle Gibson</span> got himself into a few different jams, which was particularly frustrating when he couldn't throw strikes after being staked to a big lead, but he danced out of danger pretty well and in the end surrendered just two earned runs in five innings of work. He struck out just one, however, and walked four.</p>
<p><span>Joe Mauer</span> hit his 30th double of the season and Justin Morneau added his 23rd. As a team the Twins were 7-for-19 with runners in scoring position, which is a big improvement over what we usually see. Although, to be fair, a number of those were Yankee errors.</p>
<p>Anyway - that's all for tonight. It's been a long day and it's time to turn in. Be sure to check in over the All-Star break for plenty of Twins talk as we ramp up for the trade deadline!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><b>Studs</b></p>
<p>
</p>
<div style="text-align: center;">Anthony Swarzak</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">Jared Burton</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">Glen Perkins</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">Justin Morneau</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">Aaron Hicks</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">Ryan Doumit</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">Clete Thomas</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">Joe Mauer</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">Trevor Plouffe</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">Pedro Florimon</div>
<p style="text-align: center;"><b>Duds</b></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">NOBODY BECAUSE DOWN GO THE YANKEES</p>
https://www.twinkietown.com/2013/7/15/4523856/mlb-final-scores-twins-10-yankees-4-hicks-homer-bombers-errorsJesse Lund2013-07-14T10:44:10-04:002013-07-14T10:44:10-04:00Pitcher Preview: Kyle Gibson vs CC Sabathia
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/CNoreUDg2vUW3Ccn_dMbkUnSRNQ=/0x325:3312x2533/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/16382067/173194373.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Jim McIsaac</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Gibson stares down literally and metaphorically the biggest challenge of his career.</p> <p></p>
<hr class="widget_boundry_marker">
<div class="pane sports_data_widget player_stats clearfix">
<table class="zebra">
<thead><tr>
<th></th> <th>W-L</th> <th>G</th> <th>GS</th> <th>CG</th> <th>SHO</th> <th>SV</th> <th>BS</th> <th>IP</th> <th>H</th> <th>R</th> <th>ER</th> <th>HR</th> <th>BB</th> <th>K</th> <th>ERA</th> <th>WHIP</th>
</tr></thead>
<tbody><tr>
<td class="td-name td-first">2013 - <span>Kyle Gibson</span>
</td>
<td>1-2</td>
<td>3</td>
<td>3</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>17.1</td>
<td>23</td>
<td>14</td>
<td>14</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>5</td>
<td>10</td>
<td>7.27</td>
<td class="td-last">1.62</td>
</tr></tbody>
</table>
</div>
<hr class="widget_boundry_marker">
<p>Following a strong season debut and then an absolute implosion at the hand of these very same <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.pinstripealley.com/">Yankees</a>, Gibson's third start of the season was strong with the exception of one inning. Today Gibson has a chance at reprisal. The sinking fastball and the slider will need to be on the money today.</p>
<p>Last time, the geriatric (in terms of baseball age) clinic of <span>Ichiro Suzuki</span>, <span>Travis Hafner</span>, and <span>Vernon Wells</span> were his undoing. Maybe that's not surprising. Gibson is a good pitcher, but guys who have been around the block will have seen pretty much everything there is to see. When he faces the veterans today, a group which will include fellow geriatric <span>Derek Jeter</span>, it will be interesting to see how aggressive Gibson will be.</p>
<p></p>
<hr class="widget_boundry_marker">
<div class="pane sports_data_widget player_stats clearfix">
<table class="zebra">
<thead><tr>
<th></th> <th>W-L</th> <th>G</th> <th>GS</th> <th>CG</th> <th>SHO</th> <th>SV</th> <th>BS</th> <th>IP</th> <th>H</th> <th>R</th> <th>ER</th> <th>HR</th> <th>BB</th> <th>K</th> <th>ERA</th> <th>WHIP</th>
</tr></thead>
<tbody><tr>
<td class="td-name td-first">2013 - <span>CC Sabathia</span>
</td>
<td>9-7</td>
<td>19</td>
<td>19</td>
<td>2</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>133.0</td>
<td>131</td>
<td>62</td>
<td>59</td>
<td>20</td>
<td>28</td>
<td>112</td>
<td>3.99</td>
<td class="td-last">1.20</td>
</tr></tbody>
</table>
</div>
<hr class="widget_boundry_marker">
<p>Already in his fifth season with the Bombers, the single biggest difference in his performance is the dropping strikeout rate. For only the second time since 2005 he's retiring fewer than 21% of batters on strikes. He's maintaining some pinpoint control, however, so as much as I'd love to say he's having a terrible year it just isn't true. If there's one pitcher in all of baseball I'd love to beat it's Sabathia, but damnit he's still really good.</p>
<p>As a group, current <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.twinkietown.com/">Twins</a> have hit just .204/.270/.293 against the Yankee ace. The only two players with significant playing time against him, <span>Joe Mauer</span> and <span>Justin Morneau</span>, both sport OPSs in the mid-.400s. Yep. Mid-.400 OPSs.</p>
<p>Maybe a guy like <span>Trevor Plouffe</span> or <span>Oswaldo Arcia</span>, guys who haven't seen much of Sabathia, can just stand in and let it rip. Maybe we just hope Sabathia has a really bad day. Maybe both? Let's go with that.</p>
https://www.twinkietown.com/2013/7/14/4522144/pitcher-preview-kyle-gibson-vs-cc-sabathiaJesse Lund